big shrek - Posted - 02/03/2008: 00:45:26
quote:
Originally posted by BluegrassBob
Hello. First posting!!!
My Grandfather-in-law recently gave me his banjo. He didn't even know I was even looking for one! I have now been learning to play for about a month.
Anyway, it's a Lumitone. I'll describe it as best I can. It's a 5 string resonator type. The 5th string peg is a friction type. Written on the peghead is "Saga". The head is the raised type. The tension hoop is notched and has 24 strong hooks. It has an adjustable tension tailpiece. Written on the head near where the neck begins is "LUMITONE - Made In Japan".
I haven't had a chance to talk to him, so I'm not sure where he got it or how old it is. Sure fun to play (or try too, but I'm learning)!!!
Greenhorn Picker
Let me enlighten a few of you...SAGA is a name brand. Lumitone is NOT a banjo maker, it's a head supplier. Here's an excerpt from "Asian Banjos"
Saga - Saga brought in nice banjos under their own name about 1979/ 80. Top quality parts on Bella Voce and Style I except for the pot, which seems to be the weakest link. It seems to be the German made multi ply one and the tone ring fit on mine is not the best. The multi ply rims are not necessarily bad per se, I've had good and bad ones. For that matter, I've encountered dud 3 ply rims... I expect to build a prewar clone featherweight 4 ply rock maple pot with a dowelled and ledged lip for my Bella Voce and to fit a 70's NOS 4.4# Iida archtop ring (also over-height and chrome!) and a brass (chromed) Bucks County tension hoop to it. I have very high expectations for this setup, tone-wise... it likely will have some volume too... I love a great archtop.
Saga Banjos were not a stencil brand, identical to other contemporary brands such as Ibanez or Fender except for the inlay pattern. The Sagas were made in a small contracted shop that only produced Saga Banjos, and probably the few high end Brazos.
Bella Voce inlay banjos in striped mahogany, over-height lightweight 2.25# bell brass flathead tone ring (NOT interchangeable with any form of Gibson spec ring), multiply pot, 2 piece steel flange, offered in parallel with the Gold Star flatheads, a thin (resonant) Paramount like resonator, wbw binding and concentric rings on resonator, Gotoh planetary tuners, brass eagle claw tailpiece, chrome, slightly arched fingerboard on a fairly full neck, pot metal tension hoop.
The "Special Florentine" model has been seen in a December 2007 eBay sale. Apparently the same as the Bella Voce except for the inlay pattern. See the Saga price list from 1979, in which the Special Florentine listed for $16 more than the Bella Voce.
Style I - same as BV except for 70's style RB-250 inlay. A long time player and former Gold Star agent describes his as having a sweet tone, still with highs.
Style II - Die cast tone ring, mahogany, bow tie inlays, more modest tuners.
They also had parts for sale at attractive prices. For example, there were various necks which were available unfinished.
Saga is a BIG player in the musical instrument game, supplies very nice guitars under the Blueridge name, and mandolins under the Kentucky name. They imported the first Chinese made fiddles/violins to the USA, now a common thing. They also have a very attractive SKB like molded case for banjos, and at the moment have left handed ones..... this is likely a production error, so get them while you can. See also info under Gold Star.
And if I do this right you'll see a pic below of a Saga.
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http://hawthorne.fastie.net/img/im/sagabvph.jpgHappiness is a warm Grendel R-31
Edited by - big shrek on 02/03/2008 00:56:28
